Thursday, December 31, 2009

Laurie Wilson is a master at illustrating and this set called "Toybox Time" is no exception. This set will be available January 1st from Clear Dollar Stamps. I wanted to keep this card simple and found a sketch online at Sweet Sunday Sketches by Karen Giron. She comes up with some pretty cool sketches. Toybox Time comes with a variety of toy stamps that we all remember playing with as kids. It's perfect for birthday cards, baby showers, and for scrapbooking pages as well.

Each month, Clear Dollar Stamps creates a set for customers free with a purchase of $50 or more. Well this month, we're thinking ahead to Valentines Day and introducing you to Kisses and Cookies. I've made a few samples using this set which I thought would be perfect for little gifts for your loved ones.

Who doesn't love Hershey's Kisses?? As soon as I saw this set, I knew I wanted to make a card using the "Kisses" stamp and create a little gift package for my hubby. (Oops.... Guess I'll have to replace the missing Hershey's Kisses!!!

If you have kids who hand out Valentines for all the kids at school - what could be any quicker than these little love notes to give out? I think the set of 4 took me about 15 minutes total to make. Definitely something quick to make rather than buying pre-made Valentines.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

I think this month is one of my favorite releases for Clear Dollar Stamps! Monster Mash, a wonderful new set will be released on January 1st. As soon as I saw this set, a smile came across my face and I was in love! Who thought they could love a monster? The monsters from this set are just way too cute and would be great for any child in your life. I love the little one eyed monster. He's got an eye on us.... Hehehe.

My second sample also is a monster but this one is sold as a single stamp called Mini Monster" as is the matching sentiment. How cute? I've made a set of 4 of these which I thought could be cute to give to moms I know so that they have some cute cards to give to their children. And we all know... there really isn't a boogy monster. Although as a child, my grandfather managed to convince me there was one who lived in their basement. I'm gullible!!!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Wow!!! What a whirl wind this last week has been. I've been sick for well over a week now and throw Christmas in there and I was one busy girl. I'm thankful it's over now and life can get back to normal - at least a little bit. It's Tuesday so that means.... Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday. This is Kim Teasdale's last week as our Guest Sketch Artist and I just have to say she's created some amazing sketches that have been so much fun to work with.

I had fun making this card.... let's just say I had a big OOPS that I had to fix!!! I tried doing the sketch from memory (I'm getting older and this is something that apparently should not be done). I had the oval going the wrong way, rhinestones in the wrong place.... Reminder to self to make sure you write the sketch down before going into craft room. As you can see, I've flipped the sketch upside down (only because I originally messed up the sketch and didn't want to completely start back at Square 1).

For this card, I've used the set called Funny Bras Vol. 1. I actually borrowed it from Kim Teasdale as I don't have it quite yet. I love this set - the sentiments are witty, the bras are cute and who doesn't love a little "bosum" humour?

I rarely do close ups - but for this card I had to. I've used Taffy Smooch on the bra and then covered the entire oval section in Irridescent Ice. I then added a blue rhinestone in the center of the bra for a little bit of extra bling.

I'm back for day two of sneak peeks for Clear Dollar Stamps' January 1st release. I've paired the image "River Scene" with the sentiment from Psalm 23:2 to create this journal. I thought what a great way to showcase the two sets than a journal in which one can reflect in. I've picked the colors used based on my DP and I really like how it turned out. I'll be giving this to a friend of my mom's that I know will appreciate it and it will be well used. (I bet you I get asked to make another one). I love the scene in this stamp - it looks so peaceful and serene.

Monday, December 28, 2009

I hope that the holiday season has been a blessing for you and that you've had the opportunity to spend time with friends and family. Look at this! Charlie is back at it for Clear Dollar Stamps in Charlie Sledding available January 1st. Hopefully some of you have snow right now and have been able to sled away the snowy days. This set comes with the one main image and then a variety of sentiments. I wanted to keep the card relatively simple yet wanted to create some type of scene - hence the "layers" of snow. On the edge of each snow drift, I've used diamond Stickles to create some interest. And can I just say - I'm so loving those flourishes????

It's that time of the month again.... Clear Dollar Stamps Sneak Peeks with the release being January 1st!!!! We've got a bunch of great sets to show you over the next few days (I have two to show you today). What better way to ring in the new year than to have new stamps? This set is called Critter Tales. I love it! Hehhehe. I think the flamingo is just too cute for words and what a great sentiment to match. I've been on a black, white, pink combo kick lately and this card just screams Clean and Simple to me.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Clear Dollar Stamps is having a sale from December 26th to 29th.!!! And WOW!!!!!! It's a good one! Lori is clearing out some old items to make room for new stuff! The more you buy, the more you'll save!!!

You get a bigger discount the more stamps you buy! This discount automatically applies!$20 in stamps – 10% off your stamps$30 in stamps – 15% off your stamps$40 or more in stamps – 20% off your stamps…………………………………………………………Items that will have a coupon code for 35% offCoupon code to enter at checkout: ACBS2009Flower SoftBind It All productsRibbonsCuttlebug ProductsStorage ContainersSpellbindersAcrylic Blocks

I hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating Christmas with family and friends. Today as you shop at Clear Dollar Stamps I'll be heading out Boxing Day shopping. For those of you who don't live in Canada, Boxing Day shopping would be like going Black Friday Shopping - great deals, lots of people and a ton of fun.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

I decided to get a little crafty today (call me Crazy!!!). My mom was having a hard time finding candles she liked for the centerpiece at Christmas so I thought I'd make a few. I've used an Inkadinkado set that I believe is called Damask (not too sure and I can't find the package on my now very messy craft desk). For the center candle I also used a set called Christmas Blessings from Clear Dollar Stamps. I've used the sentiment that says "May the splendor of this seasonRemind you of Him who is worthy of all our praise!" I know my mom will love the candles and perhaps even end up with tears in her eyes.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Can you believe it's almost Christmas??? Just 3 days away! Yikes!!! I hope you are all ready to enjoy the time spent with friends and family at this beautiful time of the year. It's Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday and Kim Teasdale has come up with another fantastic sketch for us this week!!!

I love making square cards (gotta love the extra room to fill with sparkle and bling and stamping goodness)! I've used a new set from Skipping Stones Design called Coffee Vol.1. This set hasn't been released yet but I know it will be soon so keep checking. I love this set because it has so many cute images and fun sentiments to go with it. I've used the "To go" cup from this set and paper pieced all of the parts together. (I'm sick this week and haven't been anywhere near my craft desk other than to make this card. (Although I do have a few things I still have to make). Gotta love that "star buck". Hehehehe.... Heather has such a fantastic sense of humor and it really shows in this set. I added a flourish in the upper left hand corner for a bit of interest (you know me I have to have sparkle somewhere on my cards!).

Heather at Skipping Stones Design is in the Christmas spirit this week so we're giving customers 25% off all purchases!!! To top it off - FREE SHIPPING for any orders over $30 including international shipping!!! If you're from Canada like me, I love this!!!!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

I'm off work unexpectedly this week so I have a bit of extra time to play with my new stamps from Skipping Stones Design!!! And what better way to break in new stamps than to create a card using Mercy's Sketch Challenge this week. I've also combined this Mercy's sketch with the color challenge at SCS which is to use Melon Mambo, So Saffron and Mellow Moss ( I didn't have any so I had to substitute Certainly Celery).

Now, when I got home yesterday, it started to snow... and this is what it looks like outside my front door today (this is after quite a bit has already melted). Notice the plowed street?? Yeah!!! I live on the crest of a hill and needless to say the block I live on is considered an alternate route for Emergency vehicles if the very hilly street (one block over) is too hard to go up. Needless to say the part of our street in front of our house gets plowed rather quickly.

Much to my surprise, I received my new stamps from Skipping Stones Design (I had expected them to take more time to get to Canada given that it is now prime shipping season with the postal system. I love this set called Tropical Birthday. With the weather outside and me inside nice and warm I knew I had to use this set... To dream of being somewhere tropical instead in the cold of winter.

It's Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday!!! Wow - this week has gone by quickly.... I can tell you one thing - it totally wasn't the week I was expecting. The highlight of my week though was my birthday - a nice day spent with friends and family and a wonderful dinner out.

Kim Teasdale has done it again with another fantastic sketch this week! I love it - although I did take a liberty or two on it. Can you tell what it is??? As you can tell from my card, I've kept it relatively monochromatic with tan and black. Okay... Okay.... I didn't do the triangle section but instead added a swirly clip and ribbon.

Hehehe... I love the images and sentiments in this set, Funny about Men. They are just too funny... All the things we might think about men at some point or another and it's in a stamp set.

If you want to be part of the Stamp Tramp Design Team (DT for Skipping Stones Design), today is the last day to send in your application. Check out this thread on SCS for more information.

Monday, December 14, 2009

I went to my dad's for dinner last night, we got to talking about cards when my dad remembered a card I made using Fishing Fella from Stamping Bella well over a year ago. My dad has become an avid fisherman so he asked me if I'd make a "fishing" Christmas card for the gentleman who owns a Tackle Shop down island from where we live. I have the day off, so I got right on it and made the card. You know me... I'm normally all about adding the bling, ribbon etc but knowing this would be sent by mail I had to keep the card flat. I've stamped the sentiment "Gone Fishin" from A Muse on the swirly looking panel.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

It's my birthday later on this week and well.... I think I need to take my birthday this year with a grain of salt. And no - I won't tell you how old I'm turning.... So when I saw this week's Skipping Stones Design Sketch Tuesday sketch, well I knew what set I'd be using. This week's sketch was designed by Kim Teasdale, our guest sketch artist this month. I think I'll be having one of these margaritas on Friday.

I had so much fun making this card. Yes, I cheated a little bit on the sketch. If you know me, I always find a way to make what I want to use work. I've used the set called Margarita Birthday available at Skipping Stones Design. I've colored the margarita with my Tombow Markers and then used Diamond Stickles around the rim to look like Salt. I've used two different sentiments from the set to complete the card. This is a super fun set and also comes with a glass of wine - Kim Teasdale made an amazing sample using this set last week.

Who doesn't love a sale - especially on stamps??? Just thought I'd let you know.... Everything at Skipping Stones Design is currently 25% off but it's for today only!!! So check out the website and fill up a cart. You'll need to enter the following code: 25off. They're fantastic stamps and you won't regret it! To sweeten the deal, shipping is free for any order over $30 including international orders.

Do you like fun and sassy stamps? Wanna be a Stamp Tramp??? Check out the Design Team Call that we have listed on Splitcoaststampers. There are two calls: one for Sketch Artists and the other for the Design Team. You have until Tuesday December 15th to get your applications in. The DT will officially launch in January and we look forward to seeing all of your marvelous creations!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Welcome to the Bella Birthday Bash Blop Hop sponsored by Stamping Bella! If you've just happened upon my blog, you can CLICK HERE to start from the beginning at Bloggabella. You should have arrived here from Angie'sblog.

I'm excited to be part of the Bella Birthday Bash Blog Hop! I've loved Stamping Bella ever since Emily started 3 years ago. I have a love affair with my bellas, stellas, the fellas.. Anything bella related really. I've used Stella needs a Prezzie. I've just received this stamp but it was on my list for quite some time and I couldn't wait to ink it up. I've colored Stella with my Tombow markers and then used Eskimo Kisses DP from Basic Grey as my background papers. I thought this would make a cute Christmas card to one lucky lady on my Christmas card list. I'm looking forward to Emily's release on December 7th (I've already got a cart full of stuff I want and am hoping to add more that day).

Three gift certificates for $100 in Bella Bucks will be hidden along the hop, but we’re not telling you where so be sure to leave some love as you hop!!! Make sure you leave comments on every post so you have a chance to win!! The winners will be announced on Monday, December 7 at the Stamping Bella Blog. MWAH!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Now it's time to hop on over to Dawn's blog.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

I'm so excited!!! I mentioned last week that I am now on the Design Team for Skipping Stones Design - a fabulous fun company with sassy stamps. Have I mentioned Sassy is my middle name? As soon as I saw these stamps, I fell in love and got in touch with Heather (the owner), found out she is having a DT call and here we are... I'm on the team!!!

Each Tuesday, Skipping Stones Design will be having a new sketch for you to play with on the Stamp Tramp blog. For the month of December, the guest Sketch Artist is none other than Kim Teasdale. We all love her style and she's come up with some pretty amazing sketches to work with.

Now, check out this weeks' sketch - isn't it just fabulous? I told you Kim did a great job, didn't I?

I had so much fun playing with this sketch but as you can tell I flipped it so I could use the frog from the set called "Funny about Men". We all know I'm a DP addict ( I love my designer papers and my bling and my... I love it all!!!). I've had this DP for quite some time and as soon as I knew I was receiving this set, I pulled it out and anxiously waited for my stamps to arrive. Who am I kidding? I was stalking the mail box!

I've stamped the frog with Versafine Onyx Black and then colored with my Tombow Markers. I love how this image turned out. I've used a bit of Yellow Stickles on the crown for a bit of sparkle.The sentiments from this set are so funny so of course I had to decorate the inside of this card (something I normally don't do but I know I'll start doing it as it makes the card look more finished). How many men do we all know that get lost and just won't ask for directions? It's normally after passing the same place a few times that they finally stop....

If you want to participate in this challenge, head to the Stamp Tramps blog.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Each month, Clear Dollar Stamps has a Stamp of the month that is free with a $50 purchase. Well... for the month of December, Critter Logs is yours free with a purchase of $30 instead as a way of thanking our customers!!!! The images in this set are too cute and are so much fun to play with.

A few months back, Kim Teasdale made a cute set called Lost in Space and Alien Bob is a great addition to compliment the original set (available December 1st from Clear Dollar Stamps). I love this little alien - he makes me want to smile!!! This book mark will be great for my nephew to go along with a book as a Christmas present. Hope you like it!

I have been stamping for approximately 5 years and it's my therapy or should I say my addiction!! I love being able to inspire others with my creations. Thanks for popping by! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at scottha@hotmail.com